Body

Hybrid forms of the common house mosquito may serve as vectors between birds and humans

The team of researchers from the Institute of Parasitology at Vetmeduni Vienna sampled nearly 1,500 house mosquitoes in eastern Austria. The northern house mosquito Culex pipiens, representing more than 90% of the total catch, was the most abundant. Culex pipiens comprises a complex of ecologically different forms that are morphologically indistinct. Two of these forms are endemic to eastern Austria. First author of the study Carina Zittra has now succeeded in identifying a hybrid of these two forms.

Hybrid of ecological forms with different preferences

Nocebo response, social observation, body-related cognitive styles published by DovePress

The Journal of Pain Research has published the original research "Nocebo hyperalgesia: contributions of social observation and body-related cognitive styles".

Researchers create artificial protein to control assembly of buckyballs

HANOVER, N.H. - A Dartmouth College scientist and his collaborators have created an artificial protein that organizes new materials at the nanoscale.

Reducing the sodium content of packaged foods: How does Canada measure up?

In 2010, as part of a national sodium reduction strategy, a multi-stakeholder working group published Canada's Sodium Reduction Strategy. This strategy was meant to act as an essential public health intervention to address the high levels of sodium currently in the Canadian diet, which causes high blood pressure and increases risk for stroke and heart disease. The interim goal was to reduce the average sodium consumption of Canadians to 2,300 mg/day by 2016. To achieve this, the Strategy recommended initiatives directed at the food supply, education and awareness, and research initiatives.

Threat of novel swine flu viruses in pigs and humans

The wide diversity of flu in pigs across multiple continents, mostly introduced from humans, highlights the significant potential of new swine flu strains emerging, according to a study to be published in eLife.

While swine flu viruses have long been considered a risk for human pandemics, and were the source of the 2009 pandemic H1N1 virus, attention has recently turned to the transmission of flu viruses from humans to pigs.

Chernobyl, three decades on

It was 30 years ago that a meltdown at the V. I. Lenin Nuclear Power Station in the former Soviet Union released radioactive contaminants into the surroundings in northern Ukraine. Airborne contamination from what is now generally termed the Chernobyl disaster spread well beyond the immediate environs of the power plant, and a roughly 1000-square-mile region in Ukraine, Belarus and Russia remains cordoned off, an exclusion zone where human habitation is forbidden.

Despite efforts, childhood obesity remains on the rise

DURHAM, N.C. - The alarming increase in U.S. childhood obesity rates that began nearly 30 years ago continues unabated, with the biggest increases in severe obesity, according to a study led by a Duke Clinical Research Institute scientist.

"Despite some other recent reports, we found no indication of a decline in obesity prevalence in the United States in any group of children aged 2 through 19," said lead author Asheley Skinner, Ph.D., associate professor at Duke. "This is particularly true with severe obesity, which remains high, especially among adolescents."

Trabecular bone score validated as standalone predictor of fracture risk

One of the most recent and extensively studied determinants of fracture risk is trabecular bone score (TBS). TBS, which is assessed by lumbar spine dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) imaging, provides information about the micro-architectural deterioration of bone tissue. Previous studies have shown that TBS predicts fracture in postmenopausal women and older men.

Does frequent sex lead to better relationships? Depends on how you ask

Newlywed couples who have a lot of sex don't report being any more satisfied with their relationships than those who have sex less often, but their automatic behavioral responses tell a different story, according to new research published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science.

Vaccinations are more effective when administered in the morning

New research from the University of Birmingham has shown that flu vaccinations are more effective when administered in the morning.

The findings, published in the journal Vaccine, suggest administering vaccinations in the morning, rather than the afternoon, could induce greater, and thus more protective, antibody responses.

24 general practices in the West Midlands, UK, were analysed between 2011 and 2013 in a cluster-randomised trial during the annual UK influenza vaccination programme.

Changes in 'microbiome' during canine atopic dermatitis could lead to antibiotic-free therapies for human and canine disease

PHILADELPHIA - Atopic dermatitis (AD), a chronic inflammatory skin condition and the most common form of eczema, is estimated to afflict as much as 10 percent of the U.S. population, and is much more common now than it was 50 years ago. Veterinary clinical estimates also show that approximately 10 percent of dogs have atopic dermatitis.

Salk scientists uncover how a cell's 'fuel gauge' promotes healthy development

LA JOLLA--(April 25, 2016) Salk scientists have revealed how a cellular "fuel gauge" responsible for monitoring and managing cells' energy processes also has an unexpected role in development. This critical link could help researchers better understand cancer and diabetes pathways.

Probiotics protect mice from estrogen deficiency-related bone loss

After menopause, a decline in estrogen levels is linked to increases in inflammation that can cause osteoporosis. Intestinal bacteria have been shown to influence inflammation by modulating immune responses, and a new study suggests that differences in gut microbial populations may determine the extent of post-menopausal bone loss. In this month's issue of the JCI, a research team led by Roberto Pacifici at Emory University demonstrates a link between gut bacteria and the bone loss induced by estrogen deficiency.

Relapses of childhood leukemia improve with high doses of common chemo drug

With a cure rate approaching 90 percent, acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) - the most common type of childhood cancer - is often hailed as one of the "success stories" of modern cancer treatment. But up to 20 percent of patients with a high risk of relapse are not cured. That could change with the results from a clinical trial co-led by investigators from NYU Langone Medical Center, which shows giving high doses of a commonly-used chemotherapy drug increases the survival rate for these patients.

What scientists know -- and don't know -- about sexual orientation

Over the last 50 years, political rights for lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) individuals have significantly broadened in some countries, while they have narrowed in others. In many parts of the world, political and popular support for LGB rights hinges on questions about the prevalence, causes, and consequences of non-heterosexual orientations.

In a new report, a team of researchers bring the latest science to bear on these issues, providing a comprehensive review of the scientific research on sexual orientation.